26th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards: everything you need to know
- Deorah Marks
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Awards take place this Sunday!
Guess who’s back, back again!? For the third consecutive year, What's on Stage are making a grand return to the iconic London Palladium. On Sunday, 8 March at 6.30pm they’ll welcome an almost sold-out auditorium of 2,200 theatre-lovers – and boy, do they have a lot planned!
There are a host of shows looking to pick up a coveted award including:
And many more...
Who’s hosting the awards?
It’s a return for theatre’s glitziest sister act!
Killer queens Gina and Mazz Murray will be returning to hosting duties after delighting the crowds last year, and will be marking International Women’s Day.
Who’s performing at the concert?
The Awards Concerts are known for their exclusive, one-off performances, which in the past have included sneak-peeks, new melodies and re-orchestrated versions of contemporary classics – all performed by some of the most notable stage names performing in theatres around the world, no less. And this year is no exception!
Performing alongside a 24-piece orchestra at The London Palladium will be representatives from the following shows:
13 Going on 30 The Musical
Young Frankenstein
In addition, there will be plenty of surprises up their sleeve that you won’t want to miss.
It is a special occasion, after all!
Who’s nominated this year?
London has certainly looked after a marmalade-loving bear! The world premiere of Paddington The Musical leads this year’s nominations, up for 14 awards. Meanwhile, revivals of Evita and The Importance of Being Earnest follow closely behind. As the awards are fan-voted, it’s all to play for!
Late last year, we took a trip Into the Woods where Gracie McGonigal, Hana Ichijo and Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson had the honour of revealing this year’s nominees.
There are a total of 24 main categories at the 26th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, including Travelzoo Best New Musical, Best New Play, Best Musical Revival, The Londoner Best Play Revival, Best Studio Production, Audience Republic Best Regional Production, Best Concert Event, Best West End Show, Best Performer in a Musical, Best Supporting Performer in a Musical,
SINE Digital Best Performer in a Play, Best Supporting Performer in a Play, Best Professional Debut Performance, Best Takeover Performance, Best Direction, Best Choreography, Preevue Best Set Design, Best Costume Design, White Light Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, Best Video Design, Best Musical Direction/Supervision, Best Casting Direction and Best Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Design.
Following last year’s introduction of Best Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Design, we’ve added another new category created in association with and chosen by the awards’ official charity partner, Go Live Theatre.
The Best Child Performer Award recognises young talent that has been playing on stages across the UK over the past year.
In addition, the 2026 recipient for the AudienceView Services to UK Theatre Award will also be revealed on the night.
